At least the matter with the ads moved quickly.
I didn’t really do anything—once I filled out the paperwork Park Minhyuk told to submit, a reply from the state arrived at the Association not long after.
“They say they’ll take down all the ads today.”
Having stepped out for a mont, Park Minhyuk returned to the conference room and delivered the result.
“What will you do now?”
“Well, for now we’ll head back to Yesung Guild.”
Of course, that was a lie. Better to say that to soone from the Association.
As I expected, Park Minhyuk exhaled with a slightly relieved look.
“Yesung. Understood. From now on, please pick up when we call.”
“Hey. My ti is expensive.”
Propping my chin on my hand, I grinned.
I could feel that he wanted to keep tethered to the Association, but was being careful in case poking just made run again.
Well, good outco. If the Association tiptoes around , that ans fewer hassles.
'More importantly... how should I go to the District?'
Honestly, getting into the District itself would happen right away without issue.
But after that, I couldn’t guarantee anything. It was hard to predict how the Director or the brothers would react.
'Since I have Cha Sahyeon, even if they try to confine , we can probably escape...'
But that would be about the sa as losing the most useful refuge available to right now.
'First, I need to feel out what the mood in the District is like.'
Like everywhere else, their tracking of should’ve cut off at the mont I fell from the top of the hotel.
Even if the Director had soone tailing , they wouldn’t be able to follow Cha Sahyeon’s shadow skill.
'Wait—who was assigned as my watcher? It’s been quite a while since I left the District, and I’ve never run into them even once.'
...Well, of course I wouldn’t. They’re a watcher; they wouldn’t et .
If it were Kwon Seoyul or Hyun Dowoon on watcher duty, they would’ve interfered ages ago. Sa for Kang Haeil.
'Ugh, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.'
A chill crawled over my skin.
I raked a hand through my hair and thought:
'First, let’s get out of the Association... then head back to Yesung Guild.'
If I obediently went into Yesung Guild, the Association would probably ease off their suspicion a little.
After that, I’d contact Hyun Dowoon by phone. Before I turned my phone off earlier, I’d seen missed calls and texts from him.
Even if he used his skill, he wouldn’t be able to pin down my location, so he’d have left ssages. Since I showed up in Seoul, the Association found , so he likely didn’t need to use the skill.
Which ant there was a good chance he was tracking my location in real ti now and waiting for my call.
'I’ll reach out to Hyun Dowoon, check the internal mood in the District, and if it’s not bad, we’ll use Cha Sahyeon’s skill and slip in at night.'
Good. A rough plan set.
I stood up without hesitation.
“We’ll be going. You don’t have anything else, right? Even if you do, call later—I’m leaving now.”
“You don’t even answer your phone... ha, fine. Go for today. We’ll need ti to process that information of yours anyway.”
Looking exhausted, Park Minhyuk flapped a hand at us. A shooing gesture to get lost.
The fact that he let us go so easily almost made want to stay and needle him, but now wasn’t the ti. I took Kwon Taehyuk and Cha Sahyeon and got back into the car parked in the Association lot.
“We’ll return to the guild.”
Without needing to explain, Kwon Taehyuk—who had more or less grasped my plan—spoke evenly. anwhile, I turned my phone back on.
The mont it powered up, a flood of notifications crashed in like waves.
I was scrolling to find the ssages from Hyun Dowoon when—
Bang!
With an ear-splitting blast, the car jolted violently. From the driver’s seat, Kwon Taehyuk slamd the brakes, and beside , even in a child’s body, Cha Sahyeon grabbed hard as I lurched.
Screams erupted from all around. Coughing once, Kwon Taehyuk checked first.
“Are you all right?”
I gave a short nod and looked out the window.
We had just cleared the Association’s front gate; the front bumper was crumpled like paper. Through the gray smoke rising from the car, I saw a tall man.
A face erged through the wavering exhaust. My throat worked as I swallowed.
A massive fra and build. A blank face. A long knife scar slashing over the right eye. Heterochromatic eyes staring at .
'Mook Jeongho.'
Ignoring Kwon Taehyuk as he climbed out of the driver’s seat, he stared only at and spoke.
“Cha Seohu, the Director is waiting.”
He wrecked soone else’s car, and that’s his first line? The worst.
Clicking my tongue, I scooped up Cha Sahyeon and hurriedly got out. Sitting there would be asking to get blown up.
“Stand back.”
Blocking with his body, Kwon Taehyuk glared coldly at Mook Jeongho. Two blades materialized and spun in lazy orbits nearby.
I couldn’t tell if he was protecting or just pissed his car got wrecked.
'More importantly, this spot is terrible.'
There was a reason he’d only summoned two weapons.
For a ss like this to break out at the Association’s front gate—by now the news would have reached Park Minhyuk. He’d be sprinting over, clutching his neck.
We had to settle this before the Association stepped in and made it more complicated. I caught Kwon Taehyuk’s arm, asking him to hold for a mont, and asked Mook Jeongho:
“Are you the one assigned as my watcher?”
He answered not with a reply but a notice.
“Five minutes to comply. Failure to obey will result in forcible escort.”
“How generous—five whole minutes. I’m moved to tears.”
Headache or not, in this situation it was best to go first and check the mood later.
'At least he ca alone. Let’s clear out before this gets worse.'
I absolutely did not want to see a repeat of last ti, with the District brothers swarming the Association and causing a scene. Just thinking back on it gave goosebumps.
Swallowing a sigh, I nodded.
“I’ll go.”
“Hunter Cha Seohu.”
Biting his lip, Kwon Taehyuk looked back at . His face asked if this was really the best option.
“It’s not the best, but we should avoid the worst...”
If he’d dropped from the sky and crumpled their front bumper before this, maybe. But now there was no other way.
Hearing my answer, Mook Jeongho spoke in a flat voice.
“Understood. Get on my side.”
...Huh?
It wasn’t the line I’d expected, and I blinked.
Given his usual way of speaking, it should’ve been sothing like We move now or Transfer to the prepared car imdiately.
'Wait. Why is he putting on leather gloves?'
His gaze slid from to Kwon Taehyuk. He pulled out leather gloves and tugged them on. A slow leak of killing intent—no, killing intent?
A bad premonition prickled.
Faster than , Kwon Taehyuk sensed it and summoned two more blades.
“Hold on! Stop—ugh!”
I was shoved roughly backward before I could finish. The mont Kwon Taehyuk pushed away and retreated, the ground split with an explosion and shards flew.
Moving nimbly for such a massive body, Mook Jeongho yanked out the fist that had shattered the pavent. With every clench and flex, tiny fragnts pattered from his leather gloves.
After briefly eyeing the dodging Kwon Taehyuk, Mook Jeongho moved again.
At the sa ti, Cha Sahyeon wrapped my waist tight in shadow and whisked a good distance away, and Kwon Taehyuk and Mook Jeongho fully collided.
Rumble!
The ground cracked and split as gray smoke billowed thick. Blades scythed through the haze and slamd down.
“A—a madman’s attacking!”
“Security team!”
Civilians and Association staff who’d been watching in a hush started screaming as Mook Jeongho truly went wild.
“What is going on?!”
Even I was thrown by the sudden, unexpected fight, staring blankly—when a familiar voice ca from the Association building.
Sensing the deafening noise and the wild, clashing auras of two S-ranks, Park Minhyuk ca sprinting, out of breath.
Barely fifteen minutes after we’d parted, we t again. Eyes wide, he looked back and forth between and Cha Sahyeon standing a ways away, and Mook Jeongho and Kwon Taehyuk thrashing each other with enthusiasm.
Park Minhyuk clutched his head as if a migraine had flared. A vein popped on his forehead.
“Ha... fuck.”
“Gasp. Did you just swear?”
“What on earth is this chaos? How do things get to this state in under thirty minutes?”
“Why are you asking ...? The one causing the incident is Guildmaster Yesung.”
Sure, I’d pranked Park Minhyuk a few tis and caused so trouble, but this ti I was ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ innocent.
I really was trying to slip quietly into the District and do my job.
At my retort, Park Minhyuk looked like he was about to lose his mind, dragging up a deep, ragged sigh from his gut. Then he raised his aura.
Multiple massive tree trunks erupted from the ground beneath his feet like snakes and shot toward the battling Kwon Taehyuk and Mook Jeongho.
I didn’t even have ti to admire the long-missed sight of Park Minhyuk’s skill.
'The Association’s front gate... the ground’s completely wrecked.'
What Mook Jeongho had already smashed to the brink, Park Minhyuk’s skill now finished off, flipping it entirely.
'Is this going to be okay?'
The mont that thought crossed my mind—
I saw the Association President, Choi Gyeonghui, running up with the security team.
She took in the three S-ranks brawling, , and the ground turned into a true disaster—and her jaw dropped.
User Comments
0 comments from readers